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from the just-line-up-the-sights-on-your-toe-and-squeeeeeeze dept.
Here in the U.S., the presidential election season, like Christmas, seems to start earlier and earlier each time.
In keeping with this, the Democratic National Committee is making waves by announcing that it will exclude Fox News, which has the largest viewership of the major cable news networks by a considerable margin, from debate coverage of DNC presidential candidates.
Thomas Lifson outlines a number of reasons this may not be a good move.
One is that from a historical and strategy perspective:
Presidential debates inevitably favor the challengers. Trump can push them in that direction by agreeing to debates only if Fox News is included. That forces them to either accept FNC or have no debates at all. If they accept, that makes FNC the debate worth watching. The rest are discredited as Democrat "safe spaces,"
And it appears he has pounced and done exactly that from his twitter account:
Democrats just blocked @FoxNews from holding a debate. Good, then I think I’ll do the same thing with the Fake News Networks and the Radical Left Democrats in the General Election debates!
Really all either party has to do is A) not be crazy and/or B) keep their idiot mouths shut to win.
Neither of these seems to be in the cards dealt to either side, so it should be a heck of a ride.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by bradley13 on Monday March 11 2019, @11:46AM (130 children)
It's possible that the D's don't really want to win the election this time.
Entirely possible. It's easier to hate on the others, than to do things right yourself. On top of which, unless Trump majorly screws up, he is likely to be re-elected. The D's may well use this election to (a) get certain unelectable geezers out of the way (cough, Hillary, cough, Bernie, cough), and (b) to see who in the next generation comes across well with voters, so they can be prepped for 2024.
That said, and I'm watching this from outside the US, the sheer level of vitriol since Trump's election is just astounding. The D's are still chasing Russian fairy tales, and going on about impeachment, even though (afaik) they have zero actual, credible grounds for either of those. They don't like Trump using executive orders, even though Obama set the precedent of using those every time he didn't get his way. Don't they see what precedent they're setting now? The next time a D occupies the White House, that person can now expect to be hounded by special investigations and threats of impeachment throughout their entire term.
The US looks to be heading in the direction of Italy: a permanently unstable government, and parties completely blocking each other from actual, effective governing. It's a shame. This is the situation built by intolerance. Conservatives aren't innocent here, of course, but in the past couple of decades it's the liberals who have been refusing to tolerate different opinions. Payback is a bitch...and that's exactly how and why Trump was elected.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @11:58AM (70 children)
Like how??? His entire time was a major fuckup.. The only thing possibly worse would start of WW3, but then US is no longer there anyway to the point is moot. I have no idea how worse can he screw up than already. No one wants to even work for him anymore except some crazy zealots and most of government departments have no executive.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @12:03PM (13 children)
Pretty much the only effect Trump has actually had on the life of anyone I know is he saved them from being forced to pay a tithe to health insurance industry. All the rest is BS.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday March 11 2019, @12:18PM (2 children)
You're giving him too much credit. He saved us from paying a triple tithe. We're still paying a tithe-and-a-half.
(Score: 2) by deimtee on Tuesday March 12 2019, @08:00AM (1 child)
Well, by your math he actually saved you a tithe and a half.
Do USAians really pay up to 30% of their income for health insurance?
I can see someone paying medical expenses of that after you develop a serious problem and have a lot of out-of-pocket and incidental expenses, but here in Oz, for insurance we pay the medicare levy of 2%*. That covers all emergency, basic hospital, and fixed amounts for other services.
* It is 3% if you earn shitloads and don't have optional private insurance.
If you cough while drinking cheap red wine it really cleans out your sinuses.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Tuesday March 12 2019, @01:42PM
Actually, I believe that many do.
Years ago, I supported my family on my own wages. There wasn't much left over, but I supported the family. We didn't carry decent insurance, because I couldn't afford it. All we had was some minimalistic POS policy the covered routine stuff.
When the youngest boy started school, the wife told me that she was tired of being trapped in the house, she was going to get a job. So - she took a temporary job at a manufacturer. She only planned to spend a few months, and "get ahead" a little bit. Well, the company had pretty good insurance, and she stayed for that, and maybe some other reasons. She opted for a few things on the policy that I never could have afforded on my own wages. And, it took every bit of half her pay. As time passed, her pay went up a little faster than the insurance premiums went up, and it dropped to about 1/3 of her pay.
Today, I'm paying for the insurance. When I started paying for it, it was a little less than 1/4 of my pay. Today, it's almost up to 1/3 of my pay.
All I can say is, "Thanks, Obama!"
It would be nice if someone did some surveys. Younger people who don't make what I make, probably are paying more than 1/2 of their paycheck to insure their families, and not getting as good insurance as I have.
I agree with all of those who say the insurance industry sucks. It's a damned shame that the crooked idiots decided Romney-care, Hillary-care, Obamacare was the way to go. They COULD HAVE done something useful with insurance. Instead, they all took a payoff from the insurance lobby, and screwed over the American worker.
(Score: 4, Informative) by EEMac on Monday March 11 2019, @02:44PM (5 children)
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @06:46PM (3 children)
Your list is mostly headlines of things that have happened while he is president. There are few actual "accomplishments by the president of the United States" in there.
A few examples:
First woman to be nominated to X. -- Thats great. Not his accomplishments, her accomplishments.
X number of jobs created/destroyed -- That's great. Not his accomplishments, the people of the United States working within their system.
(Score: 2, Offtopic) by FatPhil on Monday March 11 2019, @09:54PM (2 children)
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 12 2019, @01:42AM (1 child)
Are mothers with kids squeezing zero jobs into their busy life a "good thing" for reference? I suppose if we are to perpetuate a cycle of dependence we need role models who only know a life on the public dole. Don't want those kids getting the wrong message.
I've always thought we should be offering public assistance only for women who have themselves implanted with long term birth control devices and are verified monthly; a hand out with an easy way to help them break a cycle of dependence and irresponsibility. If we are successful in developing one for men, same deal.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Tuesday March 12 2019, @09:27AM
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2, Disagree) by ilsa on Monday March 11 2019, @09:34PM
Do you have any news sources that arn't blatant propaganda machines?
Just looking at the first article, a huge portion of "his" accomplishments have absolutely nothing to do with him. In fact, the entire list looks less like "Accomplishments" and more like a list of things that he's bragged about while talking to Alex Jones.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by hemocyanin on Monday March 11 2019, @03:10PM (3 children)
He also didn't immediately start a major war with Syria like HRC would have done.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @05:18PM (2 children)
But now he's brought in swamp scum like Bolton, and they're fucking with Venezuela now.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @10:53PM (1 child)
Being better than HRC is not the same as being good. Sort of like saying that Jeffry Dahmer is responsible for fewer innocent deaths than HRC. True, but doesn't make Dahmer a good dude.
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Tuesday March 12 2019, @02:02AM
Need a "NICELY PUT!" mod.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 2, Insightful) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday March 11 2019, @03:25PM (55 children)
And this is why you will never be a successful political strategist. Your opinion is not the majority opinion but you can't comprehend anyone else disagreeing, so your actions are all predicated on a falsehood.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @05:13PM (43 children)
Well Trump was not elected by any majority except the electoral college so your point is not even applicable. Also everything the AC said was accurate sooooo yaaaaa, not sure what else to add that wouldn't come off as a simple ad-hom attack.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @05:34PM
And if HRC had won, she too would not have had a majority of all votes. Both candidates had something less than 50% of the vote.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday March 11 2019, @05:48PM (22 children)
Wah, wah! The electoral college keeps us from employing tyranny of the majority! It's not fair!
No shit, Sherlock. That's why we have it.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @05:59PM (2 children)
"Your opinion is not the majority opinion but you can't comprehend anyone else disagreeing, so your actions are all predicated on a falsehood."
TMB is epically dumb, news at 11 (except on Fox, the unNetwork for unfair and unbalanced news)
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday March 12 2019, @03:49AM (1 child)
You and math are not friends, are you? 50% is not a majority. It is at best a plurality.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 12 2019, @04:01PM
Aww poor buzzy, yet again can't see the point and lashes out mistakenly.
(Score: 3, Informative) by number11 on Monday March 11 2019, @06:35PM (12 children)
Nah. We have it due to 18th century political horse-trading, to get the pissant states that nobody lived in on board with the Constitution. Being as there weren't any plans at the time to let people actually vote for the President (your state legislature would take care of that, you dumb peasant) it doesn't have anything to do with "tyranny of the majority".
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @07:06PM (2 children)
Pissant state occupant here: fuck off and grow your own damn food.
(Score: 2) by number11 on Monday March 11 2019, @11:31PM (1 child)
I live in a pretty pissant state, too. We grow food (and more importantly, alcohol). Don't feel that sense of entitlement that you do, though.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 12 2019, @02:20AM
No sense of entitlement? Is that what your rant against flyover country not voting correctly was about?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Oakenshield on Monday March 11 2019, @07:11PM (4 children)
Did you even read what you wrote? Why do you think those "pissant" states that nobody lived in wanted these particular horse-trades? To prevent the "tyranny of the majority". Representatives are fielded based upon population. Why would they cede self determination to a populous state just to be a part of this new Constitution? I'm guessing logic was not in your curricula.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @09:20PM
Come now, please don't try to induce critical thinking into rote learning dude/dudette, heads will explode...
(Score: 3, Informative) by number11 on Monday March 11 2019, @11:26PM (2 children)
You seem to think that "self-determination" is for governmental units, rather than for humans. I dunno, maybe that made sense in an era where citizens were not permitted to vote for the President anyhow. Are you suggesting we go back to having state legislatures elect electors, who then get to vote on who'll be President? Are you that afraid of what the will of the people is?
Electoral votes are not based on population. California has one electoral vote per 719K inhabitants. Wyoming has one electoral vote per 193K inhabitants. So a Wyoming citizen's vote counts the same as 3.7 California citizen's votes in a Presidential election. Sounds more like "tyranny of the minority" to me. Granted, those two states are the most extreme cases.
(Score: 3, Informative) by AthanasiusKircher on Tuesday March 12 2019, @12:42AM
Electoral votes are based on the closest approximation to the population of each state, given the conditions that each state always gets at least one rep, and the total number of reps is set at 435, AND each state gets two votes because of Senate representation (the latter distribution in the upper house is what really skews things).
Had we continued following the scheme the founders expected we'd have a much, much larger lower house legislature with better approximations to population.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 13 2019, @04:08AM
California has an unfairly large share in proportion to the number of US citizens living in California. Basically, the state is cheating by welcoming illegals. That gives them a couple dozen undeserved electoral votes and members of the house.
(Score: 1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @08:14PM
Congratulations on the most tone-deaf SN comment of the day. With an attitude like that, it's no wonder those "peasants" in "pissant states" think the Democratic Party is full of condescending big-city fucks who look down on them. Have fun earning Trump another four years in office because you couldn't grow up and look at the world outside your narcissistic tech bubble.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by AthanasiusKircher on Tuesday March 12 2019, @12:36AM (2 children)
Uh, the reason why they wouldn't do a direct vote for president was absolutely to avoid tyranny of the majority (otherwise known as "mob rule" or direct democracy, which the Founders abhorred for very good historical reasons).
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 12 2019, @01:54AM (1 child)
It is incredible at how many idiots with no knowledge of history who think they have some insightful knowledge on how democracy should work based solely on the other idiots in their echo chamber. You know things are really bad when people who should know better - like Hillary Clinton - start advocating for abolishing the Electoral College just because it worked as designed and against her personal interests. I fear for this country. We are bringing up a whole generation of complete utter retards.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 12 2019, @08:05AM
So true. And you only need to look in the mirror every morning to reinforce this insight.
(Score: 2) by dry on Tuesday March 12 2019, @05:22AM (5 children)
Yes, the tyranny of the minority is so much better. Perhaps you should have a dictator and take the tyranny of the minority to the max.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday March 12 2019, @05:31AM (4 children)
Sorry but it doesn't work that way. No matter who is President, which is the only thing the electoral college deals with, whoever has the most people has the most votes in congress. Tyranny of the minority isn't an actual possibility, only a minimal check on majority power is.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by dry on Tuesday March 12 2019, @05:57AM (3 children)
For some weird reason you guys have also limited your number of representatives to 435 for close to a hundred years, which also works to give the minority more power, including electoral votes.
Imagine if Article the 1st had passed (and it still could, Article the 2nd did).
(Score: 3, Insightful) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday March 12 2019, @12:39PM (2 children)
Yes, that's by design. Tyranny of the majority was a major concern for our founders and tyranny of the minority isn't a realistic worry.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 12 2019, @04:05PM
The worst years in recent history were presided over by minority votes. Try joining us here in reality someday.
(Score: 2) by dry on Tuesday March 12 2019, @05:41PM
How is tyranny of the minority not a realistic concern? Tyranny is tyranny even if it is the type that you like.
(Score: 1, Offtopic) by Runaway1956 on Monday March 11 2019, @06:03PM (18 children)
Oh, FFS, 51% vs 49% is not a "clear majority", nor does it amount to that old worn-out "mandate" bullshit. Less than half of eligible Americans bother to vote. Some of the vote (mine, for instance) went to third party voters. Euros like to tell us that "first past the post" is a well and truly fucked up way of doing democracy.
IF, HRC had won something like 60% of the vote, you might have a legitimate complaint. She didn't. In such a close race, the electoral college decides. It's been that way since long before ANY of us was born, including that ancient harridan, and the equally ancient court fool who ran against each other.
Now, WILL YOU stop your sniveling?
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @06:29PM (10 children)
Except that one EC voter decided to vote for HRC instead of DJT and they were overruled and told to vote how their district did. So it turns out the EC is really just a tool to enable gerrymandering, AKA election fraud.
Keep dreaming you snotty child.
DJT won for one reason only, HRC stole the election from Sanders which alienated a good portion of her base. Similarly, the reason DJT won the GOP primary is almost opposite: typical GOP politicians alienated their base and DJT sold them exactly the lines they wanted to hear. Once they bought into his shtick he was able to play them for chumps and so here we are. Same chumps still trying to defend him, just incredible.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday March 11 2019, @06:42PM (2 children)
Congrats. You have a more realistic view of things than at least half of the Dems in this country.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @06:46PM (1 child)
And you are batshit crazy with occasional glimpses of reason.
We were being honest with each other right?
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday March 11 2019, @06:52PM
Honest? About the bastshit? Well, yes, of course.
(Score: 5, Disagree) by number11 on Monday March 11 2019, @06:53PM (6 children)
Nah. He won for a number of reasons, of which yours is only one. There's also the Russian influence, and the fact that DJT made for far more interesting news stories for the media. There was a revulsion at the concepts of dynasty (which we'd already suffered with the bushes) and the arrogance of power, of "it's her turn" and the abuses of "the establishment". There's sexism. There's the fact that HRC had already been demonized by the right for 20 years. There's that DJT's PR and TV experience allowed him to play the common man, but yet incredibly successful, the perfect celebrity. Most of these reasons weren't enough to tip the election on their own, but they combined in a perfect storm.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 12 2019, @01:20AM
"Russian influence."
Drink the koolaid much?
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday March 12 2019, @03:55AM
Mostly it was a whole bunch of "We're fed the fuck up with The Establishment. Ditto political correctness taken to insane levels." Nothing Hillary could have said or done would have overcome either of those issues. Everything Cheeto Jesus said and did spoke directly to them. Learn this and run someone palatable to the 49% of the nation who think CJ is doing a good job or lose again, your choice.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by Pav on Tuesday March 12 2019, @04:19AM (2 children)
"Russian influence"? You mean the $2000 troll farm ad campaign Facebook testified to congress about... the one desperate security people said was indicative of interferance? Or the discredited Steele dossier? Or the faux "Russian" bots shown actually to be planted by ex intelligence guys trying to pump security software sales? You mean those conspiracy theories even Mueller has had to come out to squash lately? The "Russian influence" Obamas former FBI debuty chief said he was almost certain was bogus in the Washington Post? And the Mueller investigation the media has told the world to "reduce expectations" about?
(Score: 2) by number11 on Wednesday March 13 2019, @07:48PM (1 child)
Boy, the "Russian" thing certainly seemed to touch people's nerves. Especially the people working for the Russians, and the rightwingers who now love Russia because it irritates liberals.
I don't have any doubt that Russia tried. From Putin's perspective, we're a hostile country and that's the sort of thing intelligence services do. I don't blame them for that, that's their job, same as messing with other people's elections is the CIA's job. Was it effective? I don't think very, though their stuff may have increased everyone's level of irritability. (At the beginning, that was probably their goal.) Of course it's hard to know for sure. Like I said, there were a bunch of minor factors that together may have made the difference.
(Score: 2) by Pav on Friday March 15 2019, @12:38AM
Wow...
Facebook, the former FBI deputy head, many NSA/CIA/FBI whistleblowers including the top codebreaker during the cold war Bill Binney (Bill and many others have even formed a group that call themselves "Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity")... they're all on the Russian payroll eh? Russian agents, yeah? Or if not on the payroll, at the very least stooges eh? Those stupid/unintelligent mofos... They don't sound informed at all. ;)
All the while blatant out-in-the-open collusion happens eg. Obama being overridden by Netanyahu in his speech and standing ovation before Congress. If the Israel Lobby isn't foreign collusion what is it? Compare and contrast actual evidence for Russian interferance.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 12 2019, @08:24AM
The big one that most democrats dismiss, because they "don't military", is the email server.
There are upwards of a million americans with a security clearance, ask any one of them what would have happened to them if they did one tenth of what she did to break security. They will tell you that they would still be locked up.
That's a million pissed off people who think she is lying, corrupt and used power/influence to escape justice. They not only won't vote for her, they will vote against her, against her party, and discourage other people if they can. That whole flippant "with a cloth" attitude cost her the election.
Just imagine, next time a cop is standing there writing you a speeding ticket for 10 over the limit, that a drunk HRC goes screaming past in a T-Bird doing 50 over and waving a bottle of vodka. The cop looks and says, yeah you're getting a ticket, but she's allowed to do that because she's rich and powerful. Still going to vote for her?
(Score: 3, Interesting) by FatPhil on Monday March 11 2019, @10:03PM (6 children)
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday March 12 2019, @03:59AM (5 children)
Doesn't surprise me. Dems congregate heavily in the more populated states; primarily in the largest cities even. That's their choice though. It's not like there aren't tons and tons of other places to live, most of which are much more enjoyable to live in.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Tuesday March 12 2019, @10:03AM (4 children)
De-gerrymandering simulations have repeatedly shown that the 5% bias almost completely disappears when districts shaped like serpents are abolished. The whole idea of having winners being allowed to redistrict after their victories *shocks* people from every even vaguely functioning democracy in the world (no need for the word "other" in there, the US does not have even a vaguely functioning democracy) - that should be a warning sign that maybe your system's broken.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday March 12 2019, @12:41PM (3 children)
Who would you have redraw districts when populations change? It's not like you're ever going to find an impartial third party. They pretty much don't exist when power is on the line.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Tuesday March 12 2019, @12:57PM (2 children)
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday March 12 2019, @01:50PM (1 child)
That would be the fatal flaw in your proposition, yes. We don't do bipartisan round these parts anymore. If one party declares they like puppies, the other takes up puppy stomping reflexively.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Tuesday March 12 2019, @02:50PM
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @05:17PM (10 children)
If it's not the majority opinion, how come Trump is consistently polling above 50% disapproval?
You white-wingers need to realize that the only reason it feels like you share a majority opinion is because of how far we've strayed form one citizen one vote. The EC, senate, and gerrymandering gives you an outsized voice compared to your actual numbers. And your refusal to look outside your echo chambers lets you lie to yourselves.
(Score: 3, Troll) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday March 11 2019, @05:46PM (4 children)
Rasmussen says 49% approval, 50% disapproval. His approval alone is not the metric you need to be looking at though. You don't technically need any approval at all. You just have to suck ever so slightly less than whoever is running against you. That's going to be an astoundingly difficult hurdle for anyone in congress to overcome, given that their approval ratings are always so far underground that someone should call MSHA.
Also, you do realize that we were never one citizen, one vote, yes? By deliberate design. The founding fathers knew exactly what kind of fucked up oppression that would lead to. Exactly the kind you're bitching about not being able to enact.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @06:02PM
Trooooolololol
This is b.e.a.utiful. More SUN! MOAR MELTIIIINNGGG!!!!
(Score: 2) by Nobuddy on Tuesday March 12 2019, @01:19PM (2 children)
Rasmussen us useless. They conduct polls by land line only. The only people that still have land lines are the elderly. A very flawed poll for national statistics. Useful only for gathering the stats of old people.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday March 12 2019, @01:55PM (1 child)
You know that 40-45% of the nation still have land lines, yes? You're either young enough to see anyone over thirty as old or are having echo chamber issues.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by Nobuddy on Monday March 18 2019, @03:02PM
So your response is no one under 50 matters in polling? All you do is verify my point.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Monday March 11 2019, @06:09PM (4 children)
Let's suppose that the white wing decided the election. So - maybe you need to get off your ass, and help to get the more colorful vote out. But, don't be surprised when it bites you in the ass. The Latin vote passed Proposition 8 in California. But, the left wasn't having any of that, for damn sure! Instead of bowing to democracy, the left ran off to an activist judge, who overturned a proper democratic vote. Those coloreds had better stay on the plantation, where they belong, or by God, the left will put them in their place!
Tell me more about how democracy really works.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @06:35PM (3 children)
Awww, someone doesn't like the Constitution huh? Get bent you fucked up fascist piece of shit.
I'm sure you'll sweep it under the rug as "activist judges" but a lot of work went into the fight against Prop 8. Regressive assholes, holding back humanity since 88,000 B.C. What a hateful prick you are.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @06:40PM (2 children)
Cocksucker spotted ^
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @06:51PM (1 child)
Incorrect, I just don't believe the government should restrict the freedom of individuals to marry. You are free to shove your bible waaaaay up your butt and keep pretending you support the "Land of the free".
At least with that book up there you we could literally call you a dumbass :D
(Score: 2) by Pslytely Psycho on Tuesday March 12 2019, @01:03AM
" we could literally call you a dumbass"
The names Dumass.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMe3WDmxBEI [youtube.com]
Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @01:58PM
I've been warning my liberal peers about this, they don't seem to believe me. They didn't think Obama was setting a precedent for a Republican administration to abuse executive power either.
(Score: 2) by driverless on Monday March 11 2019, @02:12PM (10 children)
It's somewhat different from Italy in that while you've got the same thing with parties blocking each other from governing effectively, Italy doesn't have anywhere near the level of vitriol that the US does, the bottomless gulf dividing one half of the electorate from the other. Italian politics is a bunch of family members squabbling amongst themselves, it's very Italian, and just the way things work. The US OTOH is rapidly becoming a house divided against itself. Which is just how Putin and similar strongmen in other countries would want it.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday March 11 2019, @04:04PM (6 children)
The current level of vitriol is somewhat new. At least, before Obama it didn't seem anywhere near this bad. Perhaps I just didn't pay enough attention to politics, before that.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 3, Informative) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday March 11 2019, @05:50PM
They were really fucking nasty [merriam-webster.com] back before national media was a thing.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Monday March 11 2019, @06:16PM (1 child)
Obama contributed, I think. Rewrite your sentence to make it more accurate.
Obama did do some stupid shit, as all presidents do. But Hillary was responsible for the birther movement. Hillary called half the population of the US "deplorables". Hillary wanted so very badly to be the first woman president to invade a foreign nation.
We don't see the snowflakes whining and crying about what we did or didn't do to Obama. It's all about Hillary. While, at the same time, those same lefties have forgotten all about how Hillary corrupted the party, and stabbed Bernie in the back. Hillary divided this nation more than Nixon, or any other recent president has done.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @10:44PM
Don't forget the superpredators. Racism and misandry all in one package.
But, I think she was talking about more than half with deplorables. It's probably code for "working class."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @10:22PM (1 child)
Who cares about vitriol? What we need is policy substance. If that's accompanies by vitriol, then so be it. And, if there's no policy substance, then the problem is with that, not with vitriol.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday March 12 2019, @01:30AM
I know! Just add hydrogen peroxide as the substance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Monday March 11 2019, @10:37PM
Perhaps I just didn't pay enough attention to politics, before that.
You sure didn't! [mentalfloss.com]
And the Romans, well! Things went a little further, didn't they?
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @06:35PM (2 children)
we should just split up by parties. i don't want to be in a country with these people anyways.
(Score: 3, Informative) by curunir_wolf on Monday March 11 2019, @08:31PM (1 child)
If you read the Constitution, you'll find that that is exactly the way the union of states was organized. Go live in "Blue" state, and you'll be in blue country. The land mass of the US is too large to be ruled by one monolithic government. The closer it gets to that kind of Federal power, the closer it gets to collapse.
I am a crackpot
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday March 12 2019, @04:03AM
Smartest thing said besides "coffee's ready" all day.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @02:53PM (18 children)
It does seem shocking, but going back in the US' history, this was standard political discourse in the 1800s. In recent history, at least the media had been treating the presidency with polite respect as the leader of a great power. And for 8 years during Obama's presidency, more personal characterizations were taboo because he counts as black. But even in the 1960s, people were insinuating that Kennedy was controlled by the Vatican / Italy, because he was Catholic.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by DeathMonkey on Monday March 11 2019, @04:03PM (16 children)
Republicans were going to do that anyway, they always have.
Remember ELEVEN Benghazi investigations?
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @04:46PM (12 children)
How many people were assaulted for wearing their "I'm with her" clothing? How many kids were kicked out of school events for their Hillary 2016 shirts? How many Democrats had their restaurant dinners interrupted with assaults or refusal of service?
This is not the same.
(Score: 0, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @04:55PM (1 child)
Democrats have become the modern day book burning lynch mob party. They use the media and digital platforms to achieve these ends rather than rope and fire, but its the same end.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday March 11 2019, @05:52PM
Indeed. Brownshirts in all but fashion choice.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 5, Touché) by DeathMonkey on Monday March 11 2019, @05:08PM (5 children)
Heather Heyer
(Score: 0, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @05:40PM (3 children)
James Thomas Hodgkinson
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Monday March 11 2019, @10:50PM (1 child)
D: Jane X
R2: But whadabout Bob Y?!?!
Nope, that's not how logical argumentation works.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 12 2019, @01:26AM
Well, the moderation of the two comments seems to bear out the media bias via users of media. Some actual nazi killed heather heyer, +5 touche. Some politically motivated leftist shot up a bunch of republicans with an SKS: +1 touche, -1 overrated. The Covington kids weren't actual nazis but the media sure tried to make them out to be that. The media bias against the GOP seems to be working.
(Score: 2) by Nobuddy on Tuesday March 12 2019, @02:00PM
Cesar Sayoc
I bet you run out of names LOOOOOONG before I do.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @06:41PM
Fuck that stupid bitch and your lies. The driver of that car was running from attackers that were not being policed. She got what she deserved anyways.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @06:54PM (3 children)
Well all the Planned Parenthood workers, medical professionals, homosexuals, and others that are routinely harassed by conservatives. The list is a bit long so pardon me for not naming names.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @07:47PM (2 children)
Nice deflect. Wake me when they are harassed for displaying Democratic party affiliations.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Monday March 11 2019, @10:53PM (1 child)
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 12 2019, @04:51AM
Those "bombs" (inert props) were sent via the infamous post office in Broward where the voter fraud was performed.
Notice that nobody got hurt. The "bombs" didn't even fail; they succeeded. The whole point was to accuse the right of sending bombs, but that never happened. We call this a "false flag operation".
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @06:00PM
Less than I would hope to, after all our embassy in that liberated country was overrun, the ambassador and two others died, security was the responsibility of Clinton's department of state, who tried to blame it on random Muslim rage due to watching a supposed film maker's home video project, and later it came out that it was a planned action.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday March 11 2019, @06:18PM
And, each of them were run by incompetents because none of them found any wrongdoing on Hillary's part. Military commanders are routinely shitcanned for being ineffective. Even if Hillary committed no overt crime, she was ineffective. She sat on her stupid ass while people she was responsible for were being slaughtered like hogs at a meatpacking plant.
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Monday March 11 2019, @10:46PM
Remember ELEVEN Benghazi investigations?
Yeah, what about it? It was a very successful carnival attraction, as are the present day theatrics. Meanwhile... In Flint... Houston... New Orleans...
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @07:07PM
And we should pay attention to the opinion of a Nazi hiding out in Switzerland with all that Nazi gold, why?
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @04:39PM (13 children)
I have been saying the same thing for two and a half years. The progressives that have commandeered the DNC are setting themselves up for a really bad time when the next Democrat is elected President. They are so immersed in the hatred that they are unable to look inward to see how they are laying the groundwork for the same kind of retribution of what they have been dishing out. I have listened to sane people say crazy things and crazy people say sociopathic things. I quietly listen to their rantings and shake my head at their failure to see any insights on the pending payback. I'm sure they will be blindsided by the vitriol that will inevitably be revisited on "their" guy and be utterly unable to understand how it could happen.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @05:20PM (12 children)
Actually Republicans laid that ground work by being vitriolic hate spewing asshats for decades. Trump's awfulness is what finally pushed the line so far that "uncivil" discourse became the norm. It seems like a game of chicken with Republicans, how much of a turd can they get away with? Seems that Trump is that turd, the marker in the sand where everyone says "ewww fuck no am I going over there."
Keep gaslighting, keep imploding, perhaps you wackjobs will dig in your heels and drive us into a terrible future but at the moment it is a macabre sort of humor watching the hysterics from people who can't accept that they elected a criminal conman selling out our country to foreign powers. Even better is you're all doing it while proudly pointing to your big-boy pants.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @06:11PM (10 children)
This is exactly the kind of crazy I was describing.
"Actually Republicans laid that ground work by being vitriolic hate spewing asshats for decades." Perhaps you forgot all about the Bush chimp memes. They rate right up there with the Trump orangutan memes. Can you imagine the nuclear reaction if Obama ape memes had been to popular? Every day, I see cheeto, orange guy, oompa loompa, and spray tan insults.
"watching the hysterics from people who can't accept that they elected a criminal conman selling out our country to foreign powers." This kind of reaction is why nobody takes your side seriously. How did Trump sell out to foreign powers? Are you still ranting about Russia? I don't see any more countries Russia invaded since Trump took office. That was under Obama. I don't see any sanctions lifted. How did he sell out? What will you do if Messiah Muller fails to confirm what you want so hard to believe. Perhaps he sold out to China with his tariffs? Or the EU? I thought they were all pissed at Trump. That's the CNN narrative. Mexico? It's the left that wants to open the doors to central America and Mexico, not Trump. Venezuela? The worker's paradise of South America is blaming EMPs from Trump for their power failures. Exactly who did he sell us out to?
Take your Ritalin. You kids are way too torqued up on your Twitter feeds claiming Trump is responsible for anything you don't like at the moment. If you can't see how YOU are being manipulated by some angry idiots who are butthurt over losing an election they thought was in the bag, then you are due for a rude awakening in 2020.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday March 11 2019, @06:20PM (5 children)
Democrats don't have the ability to do a lot of introspection.
(Score: 3, Funny) by aristarchus on Monday March 11 2019, @07:16PM (4 children)
Truly you are an idiot, Runaway1956-2626! ῐ̓́δῐος, from the Greek, meaning locked up inside, private, having no perspective that could allow of introspection. You are projecting again, Runaway. Best to remain silent, before you embarrass yourself further.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday March 11 2019, @08:03PM (3 children)
I love the embarrasment, because it is all yours.
(Score: 3, Funny) by aristarchus on Monday March 11 2019, @08:17PM (2 children)
Yes, I am embarrassed for you, Runaway, because evidently you are such an idiot that you are completely unaware of what an idiot you are, and so save yourself the redeeming grace of embarrassment.
But imagine this. You know how it is, when children think they know something, and are quite conceited in their supposed knowing, but as an adult you are well aware that the child does not know, and that the child is not embarrassed by their mistake because they do not realize it? Now could it be, given your demonstrated lack of knowledge and education in general, that you are like a child to many others, and your lack of self-awareness and humility should be profound cause for embarrassment? Could it be, Runaway? You Compleat Idiot!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 12 2019, @08:35AM (1 child)
Whooooaaaaa, so meta.
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Tuesday March 12 2019, @08:53AM
Nooooo, more "hypo-" or even, "hypno". Under the Runaway, into his consciousness, imperceptible at first, but as the effect builds, he will realize that he is now, and has always been, an idiot. Difficult thing to bring someone to a realization of, particularly if they are a hostile patient. Hold still, Runaway, so we can get this catheter up your wazoo!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @07:07PM (1 child)
I don't do twitter, and I don't need Mueller's report and the wealthy version of "justice" to see Trump for what he is. Your last hope is a corruption of justice and it is supremely sad to see conservatives not just making false accusations but now actively defending criminals.
Simply astounding, and none of this requires "fake news" outlets as much of the evidence was publicly announced by the idiot-in-chief, confirmed by his idiot personnel, and backed up by the absolutely amazing number of criminal convictions within Trump's inner circle since he became POTUS.
Go ahead, insult away, any person with an ounce of common sense who has NOT been thoroughly brain-raped by FNC can see this if they bother to actually pay attention to these details.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @07:30PM
I don't even know what this is supposed to mean. Are you arguing that Trump is guilty of "corruption of justice"? (It's obstruction, not corruption by the way) And can you give me the rundown on the evidence that meets each element of this crime? Try not to listen to that party hack, Jerry Nadler as he would sell his own mother for another two years in the House. I can only assume you have swallowed the hook, line and sinker that firing Comey is some kind of obstruction despite the implications that he himself obstructed justice in the case for Hillary and her magic emails. Perhaps it was the firing of Andrew McCabe who was dismissed for lying to the FBI itself. He was investigated by the IG office and recommended for prosecution to the Attorney General. Care to explain to the rest of us plebes how Trump "corrupted" justice?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @07:12PM
No, it isn't. It is the crazy you are committing. Go have Trump sign your Bible, so you can die in eternal fire.
(Score: 2) by tibman on Tuesday March 12 2019, @04:05AM
I just googled "trump lift sanctions". Looks like he did: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/27/us-lifts-sanctions-oleg-deripaska-russia [theguardian.com]
SN won't survive on lurkers alone. Write comments.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @10:58PM
I don't think either of you understand. Say it with me: uniparty.
Capital has superseded democracy. The two parties we have are an illusion created by the media at the behest of the oligarchs who really control the government.
Not just the US government, either.
You are not living in a democracy. Stop pretending you are.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @06:09PM (9 children)
Hillary's loss in 2016 cleared her out of the way already. She won't be running again.
Bernie is a different story, he didn't get 'cleared out of the way', but as he is: a) male b) white, he is now "unrunnable" by the current D's who want females and non-whites in every office. So there is little chance of a Bernie return because he does not fit the D's current demographic.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday March 11 2019, @06:23PM (8 children)
Don't be too sure. Hillary has not stated that she won't run again. Nor has Bernie. And, remember that Bernie had the young Dem voter support. Hillary ran on the uterine plank as much as anything, and young women rejected her for that reason, as much as any other. If Bernie runs again, the youngsters may very well swarm back to "Granpa Bernie". And, there are more of those younger voters, this time around, and fewer old geezers to vote against Hillary.
We shall see what we shall see, I think.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday March 11 2019, @06:24PM
Ooops, fewer old geezers to vote FOR Hillary.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @07:12PM
I know I've said it before but not 100% sure if it was replying to you. Guess you're so stuck in the Foxhole you don't even see on-topic week old news http://time.com/5543634/hillary-clinton-2020-president-campaign/ [time.com]
I love how your disparaging metaphors are the weakest insults possible while Trump in his usually epic awfulness has "the best insult worthy traits, everyone says so."
ERMAGHERD SOCIALISM!! arrrtard
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @08:05PM (5 children)
Are you sure about that? [cnn.com]
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday March 11 2019, @08:07PM (4 children)
I was pretty sure. But, she also says, " but vows she’s “not going anywhere.”
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @08:20PM (2 children)
Runaway does not know that he does not know. He's kind of an idiot, that way. Ask him about the population of China! Or where Trump was born! Hilarity (and Hilary) will ensue.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 11 2019, @11:05PM (1 child)
Oh, I know this one! Kenya, right?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 12 2019, @08:55AM
No, it is in the Bahamas, where his Alien British Subject mother dropped this anchor baby! Trump is the spawn of immigrants! Build the wall! Keep Trumps, or more correctly, Drumpfs, out!
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Monday March 11 2019, @10:55PM
Doesn't matter what she says, she still owns the DNC and will decide who will be on the ballot. Unless another moderate "liberal" pops up, my money is on Biden, all warn and fuzzy and uncontroversial. But the *I am not Trump 2020* campaign is not going to get the undecideds off the couch.
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Tuesday March 12 2019, @12:21AM (3 children)
To be fair, the Republicans under Newt Gingrich began the witch hunts against Clinton. They ran the same playbook again against Obama with the endless Benghazi investigations.
Generally speaking, we're watching the tightening gyres of the slogfest that has been slotted in for actual progress for the American people on anything that will affect the massive theft by the elites in any way.
I can't believe we're not already seeing bloody battles in the streets, so brittle has everything become, but perhaps epochal shifts, revolutions, and civil wars always do feel slow motion to the people caught up in them.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 12 2019, @02:13AM (2 children)
Charlottesville. Portland. Berkeley. It's started already. It may be smaller skirmishes but unless things cool down and the media on both sides stops "Goebbelsizing" the news we could see 1960s style rioting. Sauron is gathering his strength.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 12 2019, @03:24AM (1 child)
And the baby Jesus is crying.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 12 2019, @09:09AM
100 alt-right jerk-offs? Not even 300 Λακεδαιμὀνιοι, so it seems that the idiots of the 3% cannot even calculate 3%. I hope their math in reloading ammo is more precise, or they may have a rude surprise. No, there is and will be no right wing uprising. There is no danger here, Donny, these men are anarchists, and stupid. We will dox them, arrest them, try convict and sentence them, or kill them in self-defense if the resist, and make it impossible for them to hold normal jobs, raise families, or even exist in a democratic America. This is what awaits these traitorous "patriot" traitors!
Remember, there are more liberal gun owners in the United States, thanks to the Second Amendment, than there are Republican voters. That means liberals with guns out number wacko conservatives by approximately 162 million to 21, 543. Not good odds. If you are seeking peace, prepare for your demise. Si vis Pacem, parabellum.